Personal Trainer Permit Requirements in Aberdeen, SD

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC or corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. South Dakota Department of Revenue - Sales Tax License

   Any business with a physical presence in South Dakota must be licensed for sales tax collection, and South Dakota taxes services as well as tangible personal property and products transferred electronically. The state sales and use tax rate is 4.2 percent (reduced from 4.5 percent), and municipal sales and use tax of generally 1 to 2 percent applies where the purchaser receives the product or service. Remote sellers and marketplace providers with more than $100,000 in gross sales into South Dakota in the previous or current calendar year must also license and remit. Register using the Department of Revenue's online Tax License Application.

   Official government source

   Free - there is no fee for a South Dakota sales tax license·Apply online through the Tax License Application; the license is typically issued within a few business days

   Free - there is no fee for a South Dakota sales tax license

   Apply online through the Tax License Application; the license is typically issued within a few business days

2. South Dakota Does Not License Personal Trainers

   South Dakota has no state licensing requirement for personal trainers. The Department of Labor and Regulation's list of occupational and professional licensing boards and commissions covers abstracters, accountancy, appraisers, architects, barbers, cosmetology, electrical, engineers, insurance producers, landscape architects, land surveyors, plumbing, real estate, and securities, among others - there is no personal trainer board or program, and the Department of Health's professional licensing boards (nursing, physical therapy, massage therapy, and others) do not cover personal training either. National certification from NASM, ACE, ACSM, NSCA, or a similar organization is voluntary under state law but is commonly required by gyms, studios, and liability insurers. Note that if you provide massage as part of your services, that IS licensed in South Dakota under SDCL ch. 36-35.

   Official government source

   $0 - there is no state license or state fee. Voluntary national certification is priced by the certifying body, typically several hundred dollars including study materials and the exam; check the individual certifier for current pricing.·N/A for the state. Certification timelines are set by the certifying body and depend on self-study pace and exam scheduling.

   $0 - there is no state license or state fee. Voluntary national certification is priced by the certifying body, typically several hundred dollars including study materials and the exam; check the individual certifier for current pricing.

   N/A for the state. Certification timelines are set by the certifying body and depend on self-study pace and exam scheduling.

1. No Aberdeen General Business License Required

   Aberdeen does not issue a general business license. The City Finance Office (Auditor Division, 605-626-7023) issues licenses only for a specific enumerated list of activities: ambulance driver, ambulance service, garbage hauler, community event, day care, junk dealer, lottery notice, mobile home park, pawn broker, street use, shooting gallery, special event alcohol, taxi/motorbus company, taxi/motorbus driver, transient merchant/solicitor, and alcohol. Trades such as plumbing, HVAC, and pest control are not on that list and need no city business license. Their state-level licensing applies instead: plumbing through the SD Plumbing Commission, pesticide application through SD DANR, and there is no statewide HVAC or mechanical contractor license. A South Dakota sales tax license from the Department of Revenue is still required.

   Official government source

   $0 - no general business license exists·N/A - no application

   $0 - no general business license exists

   N/A - no application

2. Aberdeen Zoning Approval and Certificate of Occupancy

   A personal training studio in an Aberdeen commercial space needs the space approved for that use before opening. The City of Aberdeen Planning and Zoning Department (123 S. Lincoln St., 605-626-7025) confirms zoning; the Building Inspection Department (605-626-7017) reviews plans, issues permits, and the zoning inspector issues the Certificate of Occupancy under City Code Sec. 60-220 after final inspection. Changing a space to an assembly or fitness classification triggers plan review of exits, fire protection, and occupant load. Home-based personal training needs no Home Occupation Permit - home occupations are allowed by right in residential zones under City Code Sec. 60-194 and there is no fee - but clients coming to the home, outdoor equipment, and signage are the criteria most likely to be exceeded. Brown County has no role inside city limits.

   Official government source

   Home-based: $0 (no permit). Commercial: building permit fees follow Aberdeen's 2026 Building Fee Schedule, which is valuation-based, starting at $35 for work valued up to $500 and $99.91 at $2,001-$3,000. If a variance or special exception from the Board of Zoning Adjustment is needed, the application fee is $200 (non-refundable).·City Code Sec. 60-220 requires the Certificate of Occupancy to be issued within 10 days of final inspection. The Board of Zoning Adjustment meets the second Thursday of each month.

   Home-based: $0 (no permit). Commercial: building permit fees follow Aberdeen's 2026 Building Fee Schedule, which is valuation-based, starting at $35 for work valued up to $500 and $99.91 at $2,001-$3,000. If a variance or special exception from the Board of Zoning Adjustment is needed, the application fee is $200 (non-refundable).

   City Code Sec. 60-220 requires the Certificate of Occupancy to be issued within 10 days of final inspection. The Board of Zoning Adjustment meets the second Thursday of each month.

Official Sources

• City of Aberdeen City Finance Office

Related Guides